A number of apparatuses for providing point-of-care analysis of blood clotting are available. These apparatuses are configured to provide valuable information regarding blood clotting, platelet function and bleeding complications. Such apparatuses are useful in a variety of circumstances such as before or during surgery to assist in determining or maintaining appropriate levels of anticoagulant therapy, or after surgery to determine blood status following discontinuation of anticoagulant therapy. However, additional or reconfigured apparatuses that provide for easy testing or additional information are desirable.
For example, easy, informative and accurate analysis of blood clotting and platelet function can be important for patients exhibiting abnormal bleeding post cardiopulmonary bypass. Although more than half of such patients exhibit abnormal bleeding due to incomplete surgical hemostasis, which is often corrected by exploration, a large number of such patients exhibit abnormal bleeding because of acquired platelet dysfunctions, consumptive coagulopathy, heparin rebound, protamine excess, primary fibrinolysis, etc. Accordingly, acquiring information regarding platelet function and bleeding complications could help to identify a cause of abnormal bleeding that is not a result of incomplete surgical hemostasis and reduce the reoperation rate.